Hey guys, thought it was about time to start a build thread on this impulsive money pit
I wasn't intending to buy an E36 M3, especially a sedan, when my friend listed the one I roadtripped home with him from Wisconsin for sale...
WhatsApp Image 2019-01-08 at 10.17.04 AM.jpeg
I sure as heck didn't expect, not even 3 weeks later to buy an S54 engine for said car...
And yet here I am, credit card burning, Z3M harness, adapter harness, a box of re-seal parts in the mail... 5 speed transmission/driveshaft sourced locally. Friend who can do the coding for me irritated at my barrage of questions. Girlfriend looking on forlorn as I desperately check my bank account for good news. My bank account declaring sadly: "No good news today"
Here's what I've ordered so far:
S54 w/ 6 speed SMG (selling the transmission to recoup some funds)
Z3M S54 Engine Harness
Engine harness adapter
Full re-seal kit (ECS had one on sale I ordered, plus a few other bits I thought I would want)
Upgraded VANOS bolts
(need to order: fuel pump, exhaust, headers, pedal)
For the 5 speed swap:
Transmission
Driveshaft
Manual, slave cylinders
(need to source: pedals, clutch setup, hydraulic line)
And just for the car in general, major items:
Purple carbon fiber trim (Center console and glovebox)
K Sport coilovers (they have some bad reviews online but I have them in my other M3 and LOVE them)
Riken Tires - good enough to canyon carve, cheap enough to roast doing some donuts and not feel bad
OE clear taillights and sidemarkers, light smoke corners and depo dimpled glass headlights
(have a full Purple M Rain interior planned too - thus the title)
WhatsApp Image 2019-01-31 at 9.20.16 AM.jpeg
That's basically where I'm at. At this point it's just a matter of sourcing a few more parts for the transmission swap (notably the pedals and lines), figuring out a clutch setup for the S54/320Z setup and headers/exhaust are the last major things. I hear so much conflicting info on headers and exhaust that its hard to sort out whats what.
I'm documenting everything very thoroughly though so I know the costs involved and will be able to share a rough ballpark when all is done (because of course some things will vary according to preference and some parts are used)
Also got a Z3 cluster here from a facelift model and a Z3M S54 gauge face so hoping with some coding trickery I can make that into a pseudo Z3M cluster. Otherwise thats gonna be one more major expense but at this point, I'm already committed financially lol.
I'll add some more pictures in later, having trouble posting them from this PC
Last edited by BimmerBreaker; 02-05-2019 at 01:23 PM.
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I'm the other way around. Started from E36/46 M3 to E39. From hard/stiff ride to more comfy feeling. I guess as you get older your preference changes too. Now now back to E46 Touring for around town daily.
Haha thats awesome. I started with an E36 M3, went to an E39 M5, then to a Z3, now I just have some of everything! Two Z3's, three E36's, a 525i wagon...
Interesting, so you are using the original E36 m3 cluster, with a CAN BUS adapter and that custom gauge face?
I was basically looking at doing something similar, using facelift Z3 clusters (to basically bypass the need for a CANBUS adapter) and a Z3M gauge face. The Z3 facelift clusters have an option in the coding for "S54" and it would seem that the gauge sweep range would go to the S54 range with this coding option enabled. Need to research it more first but if thats the case, a Z3 facelift cluster + custom gauge face = affordable Z3M clusters? In theory anyways...
I have an OE gray Z3M gauge face to throw in if this does work for my experiment, but in the future, a custom gauge face would be required.
If the one you have is based on the Z3M (and it appears to be, but in E36 black... which I love...) then this should work. I'll be your first customer if these are available as I'd like to keep the cluster face black... can we delete the km/h ring on the mph gauge too?
I understand the allure of the 6 speed, but I have that setup in my Z3 and I just don't need the 6th gear. I have a 3.15 diff and the 6 speed in the Z3 and its already tremendously fun. I figure a 3.38 would still pair well with even a 5 speed, being a reasonable blend of highway usability when needed and around-town fun. I'll do a 6 speed swap on another build in the future if this goes well But this is more a city driver anyways and with how I drive I like to keep the revs up.
Last edited by BimmerBreaker; 02-05-2019 at 05:06 PM.
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So it's been done then? Care to share any details on how? Would love to get working on that soon as I know I'm gonna have to send the cluster off somewhere to have the gauge face installed and whatever else might be needed. Would love the cluster to be ready to go by the time the engine is in
Yeah, more deets man!
Lets share this knowledge so more people can do these swaps
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Stoked to help out with this at the shop I'm the previous owner of that Techno Violet M3... sold it to Graham because I wanted something a little more E39-esque as a daily (currently have an E46 330i/5). It's cool to see my old M3 being built to its full potential with a healthy budget!
1995 525i 5-speed - Thread
Looking forward to seeing some spicy work, as Mr. West said.
Congrats!
Past: '99 Hellrot/Dove M3 | '97 S14 1JZ | '06 Triumph Daytona 675 | '01 330I M-Tech I | '99 Silvia S15 | Current: '96 Estoril/Black M3
Ok so there are 4-5 of us that text frequently that have completed our s54 swap. We are all dying to get a working e46 M3 cluster that GPeterson has in his car, OR try this Z3 modifies cluster you guys are talking about.
So so are you saying that if we buy a Z3 cluster from a late model regular Z3 car like a 2000-2002, YOU can modify it to work correctly in our e36 S54 swapped cars?
98 Estoril ///M3 4/6
S54 swap CSL
Have ordered a clutch, flywheel, pressure plate kit. Did a lot of research and ordered basically the cheapest one I could find on ebay for an E36 M3. It's slightly lighter than stock at 14 lbs, vs 22lbs for an E36 flywheel which is commonly run, or 24 lbs for an E46 M3 flywheel based on my research. I would have liked to use the E46 M3 SMG flywheel, paired with a Z3M S54 clutch/PP as that was my original intention but it didn't seem like it would work the more reading I did. I also read a lot of conflicting reports on whether this leads to premature wear on the S54 engines. I'll be doing new bearings and stuff and to be honest I got this S54 pretty cheap. In the grand scheme of things the big cost is the swap stuff around the engine. So I'll be a guinea pig here. I'm gonna rev this thing to the moon
Also ordered a few other things, Megan Racing headers - again, a reasonable budget option. Better than stock, and I'm not trying to drop $20k in parts into this thing. I'm already scared how close the total is getting to that figure lol.
Ordered a pedal kit as well. Came with everything but the line is from a Z3 and I don't think those interchange. Will order new shift pins for the trans, maybe start to get it cleaned up too while I'm waiting for other stuff.
Hell yeah man! Should be a fun project, can't wait to get some parts in! Gotta be honest too the sedan shape has really grown on me since I threw the tails on... maybe we can spend some time today getting those clear fogs in so I don't have to be ashamed of my front end anymore
Thanks man, can't wait to get started!
Yo there's an E36 S54 swap cool kids group chat crew? Where do I apply?
I'm gonna try to start researching the cluster stuff right now, as I have an S54 swapped into my Z3 non-M with an original Z3M S54 cluster installed. I also have a Z3 non-M facelift cluster. I've seen the functions in the S54 cluster and there are a few options, I'm basically thinking I just need to look at whats different in the S54 cluster and emulate those in the Z3 facelift cluster? I don't think there are any hardware differences between the Z3 S54 clusters and Z3 non-M facelift clusters
I'm fine to keep talking about this right now if you are... I'm just waiting for parts to come in at the moment and this is sort of the last thing holding me back I PMed as well, but wouldn't mind talking about it here
I also really prefer the Z3M S54 cluster to the E46 M3 one for two major reasons: first being that the Z3M cluster has amber backlighting whereas the E46 M3 has a yellow tinge, secondly the warmup lights - while a fun novelty, get pretty annoying at night as they are very bright LEDs that are always shining on you. Personal preference maybe but I'm 100% commited to a Z3M cluster rather than E46 M3
Last edited by BimmerBreaker; 02-07-2019 at 01:39 PM.
Going into my TENTH YEAR of providing high quality reproduction BMW fabrics!
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Very cool!
I'm looking to swap in an S54 in the next couple of years, so I'll be eyeing this thread periodically.
I think me and shifty both have the eBay 14lb flywheel/clutch kit on our e36 s54s. No problems with mine so far, pedal feel is really nice and it's very easy to control. When you want to dump the clutch it bites hard. No regrets.
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The more the merrier!
Awesome to hear! Any chatter or anything?
Some parts have started showing up...
WhatsApp Image 2019-02-08 at 6.02.25 PM.jpeg
Random pile of stuff above... the nice new Z3M harness pictured below So nice and soft and pliable. Normally cars out here in AZ especially get super dry, cracked, brittle wiring. Disintegrates when you touch it kind of stuff. But this. Mmmm. So fresh
WhatsApp Image 2019-02-08 at 6.04.01 PM.jpeg
Had to take it out and stretch it's legs a bit
WhatsApp Image 2019-02-08 at 6.08.11 PM.jpeg
Was also at the junkyard today and grabbed this aux-in panel from an E90. Gonna wire it in eventually to an aftermarket CD43 aux-in input to have a totally factory look but aux-in. It's just sitting in there for now. Eventually I'll remove the ASC panel and have an OE alarm light put in place there I think.
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No pictures unfortunately (my phone sucks) but also bought some E46 sedan door gaskets today. My E36 ones had the common issue of being super shrunken and not fitting properly plus the front ones were ripped apart. Pretty noisy on the highway and some air escaping in/out around the doors. I originally grabbed E36 rear gaskets - I was gonna cut and splice in nice large pieces on the bottom (the width of the whole plastic sill, looks a little nicer than just adding in a 1" spacer or whatever imo). But then I saw a few E46s with really nice gaskets and thought to give em a shot.
There was one E36 sedan in the yard, luckily a sedan, and a rudimentary test fit in the yard yielded good results. $24 for the set was a deal imo. Went back to the shop afterwards and threw em on. The rears were pretty much a dead-on fit from the get-go - they were actually slightly too large in the rear so I trimmed them down. The fronts needed a spacer added (I just trimmed down the excess rear segment a bit further) and some massaging particularly around the B pillars. Was able to get it pretty darn good just by pinching the door gasket together (there is a metal band inside it, I just tried to pinch it to squeeze it together more to help it grab the metal a bit more) and pushing on it firmly. I probably need new B pillars but thats a separate issue (gonna re-do the whole headliner down the road). The point is, the gaskets fit and look really great imo. Plus they have a felt lining inside instead of rubber. Idk why but its a nice touch
Have also ordered a bunch more stuff recently, ordered an OE throwout bearing, and omg I don't even want to think about what else
S54 is shipping out tomorrow or Monday - hope to see it next week
It's getting real over here....
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I honestly have zero chatter or any strange sounds. I'm honestly super happy with it and you can't beat the price.
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the light weight flywheel was by far my favorite mod to the S52... very fast rev up, and now it graces the S54..
98 Estoril ///M3 4/6
S54 swap CSL
Can't wait, great to hear there are some positive experiences with this setup Especially since it already showed up...
WhatsApp Image 2019-02-09 at 2.45.23 PM.jpeg
Adapter harness showed up too, has some nice instructions with it
WhatsApp Image 2019-02-09 at 2.48.53 PM.jpeg
Some of this stuff is shipping crazy fast. Headers were here 2 days after I ordered... same with the clutch kit. So now I have a huge pile of parts sitting here already but no engine. Regardless, the next major thing is figuring out the exhaust situation, if I can't find an OE E46 M3 section 1 & 2 locally or for cheap online I will look into trying to find one already made
Current parts list is about as follows for the engine swap... obviously I'm doing a trans swap too so there is a whole other bunch of parts too but this is it for the engine stuff I believe. I'm sure I'm missing something... what is it?
S54 Engine S54 Rod Bearing Kit (Early) 11410395192KT Z3M Engine Harness 12517831637 Z3M Harness Adapter ebay (Johnathon) Z3M Radiator 17112227281 Upper Z3M Rad Hose 11537831026 Lower Z3M Rad Hose 11531401726 Head Gasket Overhaul Kit* 11127831920 Vanos Hub Bolts 07119913589KT Engine/Trans Mount Kit 22116779970KT1 Oil Dipstick O-Ring 11431707164 Oil Level Sender O-Ring 12611744292 Oil Pan Cover Gasket 11137832023 Oil Pan Gasket 11131437237 Crankshaft Seal Kit 11142247867 Rear Covering Plate 11141734019 Oil Cooler O-Ring 17222245358 Exhaust Manifold Gasket 11627830667 Exhaust Nut 11721437202 SAP Delete Plate Garagistic Clutch Kit ebay Megan Racing Headers ebay E46 M3 Fuel Pump ebay E46 M3 Pedal Assembly ebay
I have an oil cooler with lines here from a past project so just ordered fresh o-rings for that
Have an intake manifold here I can use as well...
oh! A pedal! Duh. Ok...
$30 for a pedal. Done. What else am I forgetting here?
Last edited by BimmerBreaker; 02-10-2019 at 10:27 PM.
Going into my TENTH YEAR of providing high quality reproduction BMW fabrics!
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Ekp relay for an E46M
So if I’m understanding you correctly, e46 and e36 door seals are more or less interchangeable? Any reason you would choose e46 over e36 (outside of your situation where you found yours on a donor car)?
I was driving mine back from NC to Indiana and as the temperature dropped the wind noise just got worse and worse. I thought all the seals looked pretty good and chalked it up to just shrinkage in the cold temperatures, but I may end up having to replace them later down the road.
From the few price checks I did, they are NOT cheap. I’m definitely going to have to replace the rear window seals, but was hoping to avoid doing all the door seals on my sedan....
Yeah they pretty much fit right on. There are some oddities around my B pillars and as mentioned they needed some trimming to physically fit in the rear and a spacer in the front. But based on my experience, the excess from the rear covered the gap needed in the front - meaning a full set of E46 door seals would do a full E36 (for sedans anyways).
I'm going to do some more experimenting and comparing to my gf's E36 sedan with stock door seals to see if they are indeed a suitable replacement. They sort of look like they might be slightly inset so I want to look and compare to stock some more... worth nothing that E46's have door seals on the doors themselves too, so I'm wondering if the inner gaskets are designed to sort of accommodate that by angling towards the "inside" of the window a bit to meet this outer door seal. Next time I'm at the junkyard I will cut a small piece of door seal off an E46 and an E36, and compare the cross section to see if the profile is similar
FWIW, theres a trick where you cut the door seal on the bottom, spread it apart and push the rest of the door seal back into place and use an extra gasket cut to fill the gap. When it gets cold sometimes they shrink and pull off the frame. If thats the case you may be able to fix it with that method, mine were also very torn up in the front so the E46 seals were an upgrade in any case.
I think the guy doing my tune knows you... I PM'ed you back about the cluster stuff as well. Lmk. Found my S54 gray gauge face so would love to get em sent off soon
And which relay exactly do I need? I do see on my adapter harness a spot for it. My engine is coming with all related relays and stuff but have a feeling that one isn't included...
Last edited by BimmerBreaker; 02-10-2019 at 10:55 PM.
Going into my TENTH YEAR of providing high quality reproduction BMW fabrics!
PRICE CUT on ALL FABRICS
Offering the best prices on the best quality reproduction fabrics!
Yup he will take good care of you. If you don’t have one yet, just ask him what he wants you to do.
i want to get this guage cluster going as well.. will text you tomorrow
98 Estoril ///M3 4/6
S54 swap CSL
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